Ireland has the toughest anti-smoking measures in Europe, a study has found.
A study of tobacco controls in 30 European countries ranked Ireland as number one, with 74 points out of 100, while Britain finished a point behind in second place and Norway was in third place.
It examined the effectiveness of smoking bans, advertising bans, health warnings, public information campaigns and cessation treatment.
The anti-smoking group Ash Ireland said the result of study, published in the scientific journal Tobacco Control, was not surprising.
"We have taken some very important health related decisions on tobacco in recent years. The leadership shown by the Government has been crucial and with the support of non-governmental organisations, the trade unions and especially the Irish people, we have made immense progress," said chairman Prof Luke Clancy.
The Irish ban on smoking in pubs and other workplaces is now two years old and has inspired a number of other countries, including Scotland and Norway, to follow suit.
The Office of Tobacco Control has found that 98 per cent of all indoor workers now report that their work atmosphere is not smoky, while compliance with smoking ban is running at 95 per cent.
Research from Harvard University has showed significant improvements in the health of bar workers in the last two years, compared to those in Northern Ireland where the smoking ban is not due to come into effect in 2007.
But Ash Ireland is concerned that the Government's failure to increase the price of cigarettes in recent budgets is contributing to a rise in the number of young smokers and a fall-off in the number of people quitting.
PA